Re: Life on the edge

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Thanks for all your thoughts.

People living on the gulf coast know all about hurricanes.
So when we saw Katrina develop off the coast of Florida
we weren't too concerned at first. But then we watched
it cross southern Florida on a tract that from past experience
we know puts New Orleans in harm's way. So we responded
like we always do, stock up on water, batteries, canned goods,
fill up the cars with gas. We watched the predicted track stabilize
over New Orleans even as the storm became a category 5.
This could be the worst-case scenario. We all knew it, but we
have seen storms turn away at the last minute also. I remember
Hurricane Betsy and Camile when I was 6 and 10 respectively.
We rode it out then. I watched the storm approach, and all of
us on the coast made the decision we have made many times
before: stay or go. To leave is no small matter. Hotels are
booked for hundreds of miles. You may have to stay away
for a week of more. Based on where I live it looked like we
would be on the edge of the storm. I was sure it would turn
east at some point so we stayed. It did not turn east. It stayed
to the east of New Orleans, but was heading due north as it
passed over. We were on the edge of the hurricane force
winds, that big red area on the satellite picture. On the west
side of the storm, the good side, the storm weakened a bit,
so we were right on the edge of the destruction. We lost
power and water Sunday night. Power was out for four
days. Not a tree of fence was undamaged in my town. All
the grocery stores are low on food, all lost power. You have
to wait in line to get in and its cash only. I went to my bank,
drive up only, $200 cash limit, and cops with m-16s surround
the bank. We have heard stories of refugees walking down
the highways and Mississippi River levee from New Orleans
into adjacent towns. The parish has told us not to open the
door to anyone we don't know. This is life on the edge of the
devastation in New Orleans. But with all that inconvenience
it is no match to what those poor souls in New Orleans, Metairie
(my home town), Kenner, and St. Bernard are going through.
No even to mention the Mississippi and Alabama gulf coast.

We were very lucky.

Again, thanks for all your thoughts. We are fine and I am
basking in the cool breeze of refrigerated air. I have a cold
Coors Light next to me and my neighbor is having a fish fry
with hurricane-thawed fish from the freezer. It is going to
be a long time before this area becomes normal again, but
folks down here are quite resilient and stick together.

That's why I like it down here.

Bye for now.
kpg


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